Cadillac drivers love to make a statement -- whether in a chrome-laden gas guzzler or a sleek extended-range electric. With the brand’s fast-expanding lineup, there soon will be more room under the Cadillac tent for divergent tastes.

“If someone wants to make a technological statement and associate with a company that’s environmentally responsible, then the ELR will be perfect for them,” Butler says. “But if somebody wants a no-compromises, biggest, most comfortable, baddest looking vehicle on the road, then we’ll have that for them as well.”

Expect modestly better fuel economy on the next-gen Escalade -- it’s likely to get an eight-speed transmission, for example. But don’t expect GM to water down the glitz or girth to chase a few mpg.

Industry sources expect it to remain on GM’s truck and SUV platform, which would run counter to the trend of most automakers ditching body-on-frame SUVs for unibody platforms. Remaining on a rugged truck platform should only add to the Escalade’s halo status.

You can bet on this, too: The Escalade will remain one of GM’s most profitable vehicles.